I made this 2 page layout using my Cricut Expression and the Walk In My Garden cartridge. Justin had gotten the sunflower seed from his preschool teacher (oh yes, I really am that far behind in my scrapbooking). He was really excited the day we planted it in our front yard. As you can see, it didn’t take too long before it was much taller than him!

I am having a heck of a time trying to get my watermark to work in my newest edition of Photoshop! Sorry for the delay in getting some things posted. I decided to just post these without the watermark.

They were both made using the retired Stampin’ Up! Boho Blend Simply Scrappin’ kit. I added a little ribbon, but for the most part, everything was done with the SSK.

So it has been nearly a year since I’ve posted. I wish I could say I’ve been hanging out with George Clooney or Joe Mauer, but the truth is that I’ve just been overwhelmed. I took a part-time teaching job last fall and am still finishing my MLIS program at St. Kate’s, not to mention being the mostly stay-at-home mom of a seven-year-old and a three-year-old. I decided something had to give and it ended up being my blogging. While I am still an active Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, I took a break from that as well. I am, however, in the process of planning my New Catalog Open House Party for July 19th! I am hoping to learn to balance all of the aspects of my life as the summer progresses. If anyone has any tips or tricks, send me an email. I could use all of the advice I can get, as I am planning to be a full-time media specialist in the fall. I have done some stamping and scrapbooking, so I do have some things to post. I will be working on getting some of my more recent creations up this weekend, while my husband and son are off camping with the Cub Scouts! If any of you are still reading this blog, thanks for hanging in there!!!

I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth or left my family to fend for themselves while I follow Joe Mauer from city to city. I just cannot believe how fast the summer is going!!! I thought I would get a post in quick before I left out of town for a Girls Scrappin’ Weekend!!! Woo hoo!!! We are leaving bright and early tomorrow morning and I haven’t packed yet! That’s what I’ll be spending “nap time” doing today.

Here are a few more cards from my techniques classes:

This card was done using the Brayered Sky Technique using the tutorial on SCS. Thanks to Lori J. for the suggestion to use glossy card stock. Works MUCH better!!!

The new catalog release may seem like it’s so far away, but in reality it will be here before we know it! I am in the process of forming new hostess clubs beginning in August! Here are the details:

* Each club will run for 6 months

* You commit to spending $25 (before s/h and tax) each month from August through January 2009 out of the Fall/Winter Idea Book, any of the mini catalogs, or the BRAND NEW Decor Elements line brochures.

In return, you will receive the following hostess benefits:

* a FREE Fall/Winter 2008 Idea Book and Catalog and all mini catalogs released

* a MINIMUM of one LEVEL ONE exclusive hostess set

* A MINIMUM of $15 in FREE catalog merchandise

You are welcome to collect outside orders during your hostess month, but it is NOT required! Doing so will help increase your hostess benefits, however!

*** I am also offering a Refer-A-Friend bonus! If you refer someone to my club and they sign a six month contract, I will give you your choice of any of the new Simply Scrappin’ Kits OR any stamp set valued at $19.95 or less!***

You can email me at dkersteter@visi.com with any questions you may have or to sign up! Don’t wait!

And here is the (if I may say so myself) cute card I made for my cousin Amanda’s son Jackson’s first birthday. They had a cowboy theme, so I had to plead with the members of SCS for someone to trade some images with me. I don’t own Cowboy Kid, but knew it would be perfect for this occasion. This was also my very first time coloring an image with Prismacolor Pencils and gamsol. Worked beautifully!

Whew! We combined the second and third classes to cover six techniques in two hours. All of the instructions/tutorials I used are available on Splitcoaststampers. Here’s the card we made using the Magic Snowflake Technique. Since it is almost summer, I chose not to do an actual snowflake image.

This technique is so easy and it really is like magic! Make sure that you rub the embossing buddy on the cardstock before stamping. It really makes a big difference, so if you don’t have one, you may want to get one. That is tool is *so* worth the $5 you’ll spend on it! I also really love this color combination for this technique, as well as the Doodle This set. I haven’t pulled that one out for quite a while, so it was nice to give it some love.

Here is another technique we did in class. It is called Emerging Color.

This is another technique that is like magic. It was so fun to break out my brayer and actually get some ink on it! If you haven’t inked yours up lately (or ever), I challenge you to do so! Leave a comment on this post with a link to your creations so that I can check them out.